So back in July, I posted a blog about my story with Acne and being on Roaccutane and I was and still am overwhelmed with the incredible response I received from that blog post. Honestly, I was so scared to post that blog but all the love and support I received made me so happy I did. I have found people, just like me suffering from acne, messaging me asking questions about everything from the tablet to my beauty routine. So I decided to update you all on my progress.
I finished Roaccutane in November and I won’t lie, I was petrified to finish it. But thankfully, my skin has continued to improve daily. I still have scars from my acne but my dermatologist did say that they would take much longer to fade.
My diet, lifestyle and beauty routine are very important to maintaining my acne free skin at the moment. The most important thing (well for me anyway!) is making sure I drink plenty of water. I aim to drink 2 litres everyday, if not more. I can notice the difference in my skin straight away if I don’t drink enough water in one day. When it comes to diet, I have started making sure I eat more fruit and vegetables and less processed foods. Then there is my beauty routine, and I will admit, there is sometimes I just use a baby wipe to take off my makeup when I am tired or lazy (or drunk!) but it is so important to take off your makeup with a proper makeup remover. The one I use which I find so gentle on my skin is Coconut Oil with a muslin cloth. It leaves my face so soft and doesn’t cause any damage. I use Bio Oil every morning to help reduce my scars and Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate every night to reduce the redness. I use a moisturizer morning and night, which is The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream.
I have gotten one or two little spots since finishing, due to being emotional or stressed but good old Sudacream before bed clears them up.
Just so you can see the difference, here is a picture of me before starting Roaccutane.
And here are pictures of my skin now! Just a few scars and a little redness!
It’s hard to believe the transformation that Roaccutane has done for me. It feels great not being in pain with my acne and I am even confident now to leave the house with no makeup on! I am so much happier in myself now!
Thank you once again for all your lovely and encouraging comments on my original post in July. You have no idea how much it means to me ❤
2015 can be described as one of the best and one of the worst years of my life. So many wonderful things happened, but a few heartbreaking moments also happened.
I’ll start with the good things that happened in 2015:
In January, I got my voice back. In case you didn’t know, on December 1st 2011, I lost my voice. After 3 long years, which included intense speech therapy for 14 weeks, endless doctor visits, horrible pain and acupuncture, my voice started to come back slowly but surely. Now it’s a task to make sure I don’t lose it again!
Also in January, I started my CoOp placement with I Love Limerick. There are no words to describe my experience with I Love Limerick, it was more than I ever imagined it would be. I learnt so much in my 6 months there and it helped me grow as a person and I became more confident in myself. The opportunities that came from working with I Love Limerick were unbelievable: meeting Maria Walsh, Paul O’Connell, George McMahon, Leanne Moore and of course Celia Holman Lee; helping many local and national charities; working on the Vote Yes campaign, oh there is so many incredible memories I have from my time there. Although, the best thing about my experience has to be meeting Richard. Richard Lynch is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He has helped me in ways I’ll never be able to thank him enough for; he has taught me so much, both personally and professionally, he allowed me to see what I was capable of and helped me see the career I want. Most of all, he always believes in me. Thank you Richard, I love you xx
I have always wanted to take part in the Laois Rose Selection and this year, I got the chance. It all started back in January, when working with I Love Limerick, we got to meet Maria Walsh. After stealing her crown and taking selfies with her, she mentioned to me how I should go for it. I laughed it off because I had just got my voice back, so it was kind of the last thing on my mind. But then Anne Marie Bowe, one of the ladies behind Laois Rose Centre, asked would I go for it. After a chat with Mam and Dad, I found myself filling out the form and submitting it. I am very glad I did. What an experience it was. Hopefully, I will go for it again, when I am wiser and older 😉 I would love to represent Lovely Laois one day! I wrote a blog about the whole experience, if you would like to read it, click here
With working with I Love Limerick, Richard set me up with the amazing opportunity to work for Celia Holman Lee. Oh wow, I have admired her from a very young age (ask my Mam!). To me, Celia is Ireland’s most fashionable lady and always will be, she truly defines Irish Fashion! Getting the chance to work with her from May through till August was a dream come through for me. I look back on the days we worked together and it still feels like a dream to be honest; working on photoshoots, fashion shows, tv shows, even just working in her office and having chats with her! Just like Richard, she has taught me more than any college degree can about the fashion/media industry, as well as giving me life advice along the way. She has helped me realize that a career in Fashion Media is one I most definitely would love. I am looking forward to working with her again in 2016!
As part of my course in University, I had to go on Erasmus. So I went to Tarragona in Spain (well it is actually Catalonia) and what a four months it was. It took me a while to settle but once I did, I began to love Tarragona. The new friends I made, the new cities I have travelled, the memories with my old friends, it was a wonderful experience. To anyone who is offered the experience to go, TAKE IT!
I started my Youtube this year. After many friends saying I should, I built up the courage and made a channel. I have been vlogging since May and my channel is doing quite good. I have 39 subscribers and over 4,500 views! If you haven’t check it out yet, click here to see my channel. Also, subscribe if you can and give a few of my videos a like! Cheers!
I got to meet two YouTubers this year! On July 11th, I met Alfie Deyes aka Pointless Blog! Then on August 12th, I met Marcus Butler! Both were so nice. Alfie was very supportive of my YouTube and even gave my video a like and commented on it, making views and comments go crazy for about 2 weeks!
I met a few other celebrities throughout the year also.
Now to the sad parts of 2015:
On January 31st, I almost lost my dad. He had a massive heart attack. This was one of the most terrifying few hours of my life. To think someone so vital to my life could’ve been gone just like that is petrifying to think about. Thankfully, my Mam got him to hospital in time and he is doing good, with 4 new stints in his heart. I am so grateful to still have my Dad. I wrote a blog about the whole thing – here
Cancer once again appeared into my life in 2015, with two of my family members being diagnosed, making it 3 members of my family battling cancer. Thank god, all of them are doing great at the moment and hopefully they continue to get better and hopefully beat cancer.
In July, I lost one of my friends, Lorcan, suddenly. I don’t think I will ever be over his death. I have been friends with him since I can remember. Lorcan, it was a blessing to have you in my life, even if it was cut short way too early. You’ve made me proud to be from Trumera, but most of all, you always had faith in me and because of that, I’ll never give up until I have reached where I am supposed to be.
I also lost my Auntie Lorna this year, 8 days ago in fact. Christmas will never be the same again. It just doesn’t seem real that she is gone. I am expecting her to call into my house any time I hear the doorbell. Lorna was one of the most thoughtful, kindest and funniest people I’ve ever know and even though we had our disagreements at times, I was blessed to have her as an Auntie. My heart is still broken. It will take me a very long time to get over your death Lorna, if I do at all. I am glad you were in my house when I came home from Spain and I am glad we got to have that one last drink with you.
2015 has made me realise how much my family and friends mean to me.
My New Years resolution is to appreciate my family and friends more, more than I do now. To appreciate every moment with everyone I love, because one thing I have learnt from 2015 is that life can change in a split second.
Finally, I want to wish everyone reading this blog a very happy and healthy new year. May it be filled with joy and laughter and many good memories.
A picture taken on nice beach, as Jacob calls it, here in Tarragona.
Tomorrow (Friday 9th of October), it will be 6 weeks since I got on the plane and moved to Tarragona. I still can’t believe I have moved to another country, even if it is for 4 months. Tarragona is a beautiful city. It is filled with many streets of old architecture and beautiful buildings. You could walk around aimlessly and not get sick of the city. The coast line seems endless, with sandy beaches and clear blue seas for miles; you could walk it for hours on end (I once walked along it for over 3 hours!)
College here is different from at home. It is a lot more like secondary school. The lectures are much smaller, more like what a tutorial would be at home. The modules I am taking aren’t too hard thankfully, meaning we don’t have to spend a lot of time doing college work. I have found a new appreciation for University of Limerick while over here. We are so lucky to have everything in one place on campus. The URV campus is all over Tarragona. It just doesn’t feel like UL here. There is just something about UL. God, I would love to go to The Stables right now for a pint with the gang.
The staff in Danny Boy pub in Salou are starting to recognise Kate and I, as we have been there nearly every weekend for the matches. There does be a great atmosphere in the pub for the matches! Also, most of the bar staff are beautiful, so we can’t complain! 😉
We have travelled a bit. Well, we have only been to Salou and Barcelona! Barcelona is a beautiful city but it is massive. So much so, we got lost for 3 hours trying to find Camp Nou! We are going back there this weekend to see more of the city. We are going to take the tour bus around the city and I am super excited. I am going to vlog it all. The girls say I will be like Joey when Chandler and Joey go to London (Friends reference if you didn’t know). We are going to Cambrills tomorrow also. So our adventures are beginning!
Although I love it here, I do find it hard at times. I miss home. I miss my Mum and Dad. I miss my pets. I miss my Mum’s blueberry pancakes. I miss going to/watching matches with my Dad. I miss Sunday evenings in Margaret and Joe’s. I miss having wifi all the time (we still have no wifi in our apartment, so therefore we have no Netflix or TV3 player so I can watch Downton Abbey!!) I miss the autumn/winter weather. I miss the fact I live in the middle of nowhere in the countryside. My room is at the front of our apartment so, I hear traffic and people talking all the time, meaning I find it hard to sleep at times. I miss everything about home. But I do love it here. I am very grateful to have Sarah and Kate here with me. There have been so many good memories already; Nicole and I got up on stage with a male dancer in the nightclub one night – Sarah, Kate and I had to run away from Moroccan fellas another night – oh and I love Peggy Sue’s restaurant. There have been so many good times so far. Also, I can’t forget about Jacob, a wonderful person who is now in my life because of Erasmus!
I have found myself thinking about Lorcan a lot more lately. The smallest of things remind me of him and my heart hurts, then I feel nothing but sadness. It just doesn’t seem real or fair that he is gone. My life is continuing on as if nothing happened. He should be alive and continuing to have a great life. It is really hard at times. I know why he is on my mind a lot more this week; Trumera are in the county final on Sunday. I am devastated I won’t be there but don’t you worry, I will be proudly wearing my Trumera jersey, especially for Lorcan. I hope they win, I hope they win it for him.
I am sorry I haven’t been posting more blogs, I guess I have lost my appetite for write at the moment. I am sure I’ll be back posting non stop soon enough 😛
I have 10 weeks lift here in Tarragona. How crazy is that? I suppose time does fly by when you are having fun.
It’s has finally hit me. In less than 4 days, I’m moving to another country for 5 months. I’ve been kind of putting it to the back of my mind, only mentioning it to people when they ask and that’s it. I’ve been trying to avoid it in topic of conversation. But I haven’t been able to avoid it over the last two weeks as getting ready for the move is all I’ve been doing. And now I’m beginning to freak out. It’s 2am on Monday morning and for the past 5 days, I’ve been struggling. Struggling to sleep, struggling to stop comfort eating, struggling with overthinking, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I am super, super excited to move to Spain for the few months. I’m moving with two amazing friends and I know we are going to have the time of our lives. But my anxiety has taken over me. I’ve found my nerves in my hands shaking more and my breathing faster and my need to surround myself with my comforts has increased immensely – which is mainly watching Gossip Girl, drinking tea and eating M&M’s curled up on the couch!
Moving to another country is a huge thing. I’ve never lived in another country away from my family. I think that is the scariest part. I am such a family person. They mean the world to me. My family have been going through a rough time, (I have 2 uncles and a cousin who have cancer at the moment and another cousin who has Williams Syndrome and has a few health problems recently..) and that’s probably one of the reasons I’m scared to leave. Not to mention, my Dad did have a heart attack at the beginning of the year!! What if something happens when I’m gone? I know it’s a negative thing to think about but if you were in my shoes, you’d think the exact same. Deep down, I know (hope) everything and everyone will be fine.
I know part of why I’m feeling like this. Last year, I went to Lyon to surprise my friend Melodie for her birthday. But I came home to a funeral. My uncle Harold, who was perfectly healthy, passed away after having a heart attack. Friday June 20th 2014, I was in Stade de France in Paris with one of my best friends having a great time seeing One Direction while my mum roamed the streets of Paris heartbroken after Dad rang her to tell her the news. To come back to the hotel and hear that news was such a crash back to reality. I went from feeling so alive to numb. So I’m scared it will happen again.
It’s a big step. As I’m writing this, my head is going mental over everything, mostly my suitcases. I’ve packed them at least three times last week and I got so anxious last week, I just had to close them up. I know tomorrow morning, I’ll wake up and unpack both suitcases again, and go through everything. Can I just bring my whole bedroom with me? That way, I won’t be so anxious! I’m just anxious I’ll forget something I will need, it’s just so hard packing your life into two bags.
I’m kind of laughing at myself for writing this because I’ve always said I want to live in London and NYC. But I know Spain will be the best thing for me. It will give me the ability to live in those places later in life.
I made a promise to myself when I was sick to never miss an opportunity that I’ll regret when I look back. This is a once in a life time thing to do really and I have to do it (no seriously, I have to or I fail my degree!) I have so much to look forward to and that helps me. I’m going to be living with Sarah and Kate and sure that it self is all the reason to go! It’s Tarragona, which is in the middle of Barcelona and Salou, so many adventures! I turn 22 while out there and we’ve made plans to hopefully go to Paris (AND DISNEYLAND!) for my birthday! Before I know it, I’ll be home for Christmas! It’s going to fly by and I know I’ll be fine.
I’ve a frame in my room that has the meaning of my name on it. For the last few days, the top two lines have been catching my attention. They are ‘alway determined to face a new challenge’ and ‘never afraid to plot a new course’. Although I’m scared/nervous, I feel like that pushes me to want to succeed in what ever it is. There never was a minute where I thought of not going.
On a a lighter note, the thing that is really annoying me is that for the first time in years, I’m missing the All Ireland Hurling and Football finals and will have to watch from a pub, it will never be the same! I always go to those matches with Daddy! (I’m pretty sure the staff at the local Irish pub will know our names by the last week in September, with all the GAA and Rugby World Cup matches!)
Anyway, It will be great craic. I’m just a little anxious, like anyone would be.
Sooo… July and August have been pretty busy months for me! Where do I begin? Firstly, in case you didn’t know, I have been working for Celia Holman Lee since April or May but I worked a lot more for her in July and August. I even worked with her at the Rose of Tralee Fashion Show. Working with her has been a ultimate dream, I still can’t believe Richard got me that opportunity. I am sad it has come to an end for now. She was a dream to work with, we laughed a lot and I have learnt a lot about Fashion and the industry and I loved every minute of it.
With Celia after the Rose of Tralee Fashion Show.
Back in July, I got to meet Youtuber Alfie Deyes, better known as Pointless Blog, and he liked and commented on my vlog, making my channel views go crazy!! I have suffered a lot of migraines and anxiety attacks the last two months which also due to hectic lifestyle and personal reasons (which states why I haven’t been blogging a lot lately!) I have been redecorating my room and it is finally finished! In early August, I met another Youtuber, Marcus Butler! I also met Jake Quickenden. My acne has almost cleared, one more month and I am finished! I went to the Dome in Tralee for the Rose of Tralee 2015 and it was great craic altogether! I got to hang out and party with the beautiful ladies from the Laois Rose Centre, whom have got a special place in my heart. I adore those ladies, they are such incredible women to look up to.
With Mam and Night 1 of Rose of Tralee 2015.
With Anne Marie and Bernadette from Laois Rose Centre.
Other than all that, I have been packing for Spain ( I move in one week, ONE WEEK! I am not prepared, in my head, I feel like I am just going on holiday!) So I have decided to combine my July and August favourites! I’ll stop rambling now!
Books
In July, I read To Kill A Mockingbird for the first time (I know such a crime!) If you have not read it, GO READ IT NOW! It is a very good book, quite different to my typical book. In short, the book is about Scout Finch, her older brother, Jem , and their friend Dill. All three spend their summers spying on their reclusive and mysterious neighbour, Boo Radley. Scout and Jem’s dad, Atticus is a respected lawyer, but when he defends a black man, Tom Robinson against made up rape charges, the trial exposes the children to evils of racism and stereotyping.
Then in August, in like one week, I read The Maze Runner series. My goodness gracious, I couldn’t put the books down! Ashamedly, I did see The Maze Runner before I read the book. But the book is 100% much better than the movie, and I loved the movie! The books had my heart racing and I couldn’t sleep as I wanted to know what happened next! They say on the back that they are adrenaline filled and they certainly are. So here is what the Maze Runner is about: Thomas arrives in a glade at the center of a giant labyrinth. Like the other youths dumped there before him, he has no memory of his previous life, only his name. But something is different after Teresa arrives (who is the only girl sent to the glade). They soon realise they need to get out of the Glade and the maze. Thomas quickly becomes part of the group, but he knows he is different from the rest and certain members of the Glade recognize this too, once they’ve been bitten by the grievers in the maze. Thomas shows the gladers a unique perspective that allows him a promotion to Runner very quickly. Thomas tries to convince his fellow gladers that he knows a way out. It is gripping and intense. If you loved The Hunger Games, this is a must read.
Outfit
Working with Celia means you get to dress up some days for work.
My first favourite outfit is this blue and gold dress from Born Boutique. I think it was around €69. I got so many compliments when I wore it. It is so flattering. These dresses are great, they cut at the middle of your waist and can give the illusion of being slimmer. They also hide your stomach!
This dress is from Born Boutique
This outfit is from swamp. Top is €29 and the Skirt is €49
This other outfit I love is a blue lace crop top and a fabulous black Tulle skirt from Swamp. If you know me, I LOVE TULLE SKIRTS and more than likely buy one every time I see one in a shop. Tulle skirts are in for this A/W so I’d advise you to go by one! They are great.
Music
Fifth Harmony, if you don’t know these girls by now, where in the name of god have you been living? The girl band released their debut album earlier in 2015 and there is a few gems on it including this song, Brave Honest Beautiful, which happens to be one of my favourite songs right now. I can’t stop playing it. It’s on repeat, all the time. No joke! I am pretty sure it will be the same for you!
So 5 Seconds of Summer have been working hard on their second album (SECOND ALBUM, THEY HAVE COME SO FAR!) and their leading single from the album ‘Feels Good, Sounds Good’ is ‘She’s Kinda Hot’. I see the trend in leading singles, first ‘She Looks So Perfect’ now ‘She’s Kinda Hot’! Maybe it’s just a biased opinion but I feel this song is step up for 5SOS, as in they could fully be classed as punk rock rather that pop punk! I feel like this is the game changer for them. It’s sounds like old school My Chemical Romance and I FREAKING LOVE IT!
And what would my favourites be without added these boys, One Direction. Drag Me Down, which is their first single without Zayn (it still hurts!) and it is pretty damn good. Just like 5SOS, One Direction’s sound has matured, which makes me a happy girl! Of course, the video is great! Also, I’ve always appreciated Harry’s vocals but jeeeez the feels on his vocal in Drag Me Down kill me everytime!!
Food
So I think I might have a problem with Blueberries. I have become addicted and when I see something that says ‘Contains Blueberries’ or ‘Blueberry whatever’, I most likely will buy it just because it has blueberries!! My latest love is Blueberry bars.
Make Up
So I wrote a blog about Acne and my story with it recently and included most of the products I use. Recently, I have been using two other products also, and I love them! Coconut Oil is all you have been hearing in terms of beauty throughout 2015 and I can see why. I use it as a makeup remover and within one minute, all my make up is off and my face feels great. You take a little bit of the coconut and rub it between your hands until it turns to oil and you message it all over your face until you think all your makeup is removed. I usually do this in sections, so I would repeat this step 4 or 5 times. Then you get a wet Muslin cloth and wipe away the makeup/oil and now you have a fresh, clean face! Also, as I mentioned in my acne blog, I have some scars on my face. I was told to use Bio-Oil to try reduce the scars and I have to say, it is working. It is a slow process and I do have to put it on twice daily. If I miss one day, you can see the difference.
Youtuber
If you didn’t know, I have been Vlogging and making YouTube videos! I am loving making videos and I am super excited to make loads more. Check out my latest video. If you want, like the video and subscribe to me, PRETTY PLEASE!
Home Decor
You might know, I am redecorating my room, well I am actually finished now! So when I saw this Love Sign, I had to have it. It is so pretty and girly. It is from Pennys (Primark) and I think it was €5 or €7. I also got my hands on these lipstick holders (FINALLY). I got them on Esty.com and they were €5 I think! These are great, I can see what lipsticks I have and they look so organised!
That’s it for my July/August Favourites, I’ll see you in a month for September faves!
Acne, it’s something almost everybody gets whether you are a puberty stricken teen or get the occasional adult acne (unless you are one of those perfectly spotless people who have never or will never get any kind of spot.. I’m not bitter at all!)
I got acne when I was 11 years old and I had no clue how to treat it. I was still a child and had very little knowledge about makeup and the whole beauty routine. Young teen girls nowadays have it so much easier! I struggled with makeup for a long time, it wasn’t until 3rd year when I figured out more about it! I didn’t know what shade to use or how to apply it or what was good and bad for my skin! I hated having acne. I know everyone hates having acne but I hated myself for having acne. Because I was clueless and my mum never had acne, I didn’t know what to do. I was using all the creams and lotions the shops had to offer but nothing worked. Some even made it worse. I got so insecure about it when I started secondary school because all the other girls seemed flawless. Not a spot or scar in site. I use to get so upset with my face that sometimes I would scratch it hoping that if it bled, it would go away quicker. But it only made me scar. And badly!
I would NEVER leave the house without makeup. I think since I was 11 up until this year, I have left the house about 10 times without makeup, when I was going to hospital for operations or going for acupuncture. Other than that, I wore makeup everyday. Even when I never left the house sometimes. I just hated looking in the mirror and hating my face. Now that I’m more knowledgeable with acne, I’ve learned I just didn’t get spots! I suffer from whiteheads, pustules, cysts and rosacea. All at the same time. Google them, but be warned, so of the images aren’t nice!
This is what it was like with no makeup in the morning at it’s worse. My face was even swollen because of the acne. As much as I hate looking at this, I wanted to keep it to show what I looked like.
I thought that I would grow out of it. So when I turned 21, I was like ‘Oh it will start to get better now!’. WRONG! It got worse, so much worse. In March this year, it was the worse it has ever been. I was in so much pain with it, I couldn’t sleep or make any facial expressions. My face would bleed at night time. I had cysts on my face. It was horrible. One night, I went to the stables with Sarah, Susan and Laura and I felt so crap all night and of course drinking got the little voice in my head saying all these horrible things and I ran home crying and locked myself in my room. I had one of the worst panic/anxiety attacks I have ever had that night. I do know why my acne got so bad. In January, I went to see a dermatologist. She put me on two tablets, one to produce acne to get it all out of my system and then Roaccutane. I was on the the first tablet a month before I could take the Roaccutane and that is why my skin got so bad. Timing couldn’t have been worse as I had a Ball in that time and my confidence was so low, I questioned not going to the Ball at all (I had even bought a Moschino dress for it!!!) I just hated the way I looked, no amount of makeup could cover up my acne. Of course photos were taken and I absolutely hated how I looked. The photo below is the one that made me cry when I saw it.
I HATE THIS PHOTO OF MYSELF SO MUCH! It took a lot to actually add this to my blog! Although, Sarah always makes me laugh in this!!
Roaccutane has been the best thing ever for my skin. Within two days of being on it, my acne cleared up! It is very strong. I am on 6omg a day. Oh and I can’t drink alcohol! I haven’t drank in nearly 16 weeks and I am fine with that because my skin is FINALLY almost cleared!! I have to watch my weight also as it can affect my heart. The main two things that is hard to cope with at times is that my lips are severely dry 99.9% of the time and bleed also. My skin is very dry too. But it’s fine, it is worth the little bit of suffering! Below you can see the whole transformation from March until July. I think I have one more month on the tablet and I am very happy with the results so far. I feel more confident not wearing make up and have left the house comfortably with out makeup. I know I will have scars but I can receive laser treatment after to clear that up.
This was two days on the tablet (I know I am wearing makeup!) You can see the cysts have calmed down!
Again, I know I am wearing makeup but you can clearly see my skin has cleared up so much after being on Roaccutane for three weeks
This was 2 months on Roaccutane. A little red but that is one of the side effects also.
I took this photo on the 14th of July, a little over 5 months on Roaccutane. Still a little red and I have scars but a little laser treatment will clear that.
Beauty routine is a very important part of my skin clearing up also. It’s only in the last two years that I have taken this very seriously. Like I mentioned earlier, I have tried every product you can think of from Ireland, England and America! But I have finally found a few products that are my favourites and the are pictured below!!
I wear facial sunscreen 365 days a year! But I have to be extra careful with the Roaccutane tablet in the sun!
Moisturizing is a huge part in a beauty routine. I LOVE this Vitamin E Moisture Cream
Days when I don’t wear makeup, I use this Vitamin C moisturizer. It helps give your face a sun kissed glow and helps bring back a tired face to life !
I use this to remove my makeup or excess makeup that my other remover might miss! It helps calm down the redness also!
I love this Estee Lauder makeup remover! It removes makeup instantly!
I only started using this in June as you can only get it in England. It helps reduce redness and scars! It works, trust me!!
All my beauty products are high end and expensive as the cheaper products just make my skin worse. If you want to know prices, leave a comment!
Acne did heavily affect my confidence throughout my teenage years, like I mentioned earlier, I hated the way I looked. Now I am not saying I am now Beyonce beautiful (I’ll never think that!) but I feel so much more confident in who I am in my own skin. I don’t have to worry if people are staring at my skin rather than paying attention to what I’m talking about. I don’t have to worry about hearing people talk about how bad my skin is on the bus or train or in shops or even when they pass me in the street. You can see it when I smile, there is a bit of life behind my eyes again.
It’s taken me a lot of courage to post this blog. Please understand that. I have shared photos I hate of my skin. I have opened myself up to you and the internet to my biggest insecurity.
If you are lucky enough to be going to Longitude this week, whether it’s for a day or all three days, here is my guide to who to see and what you should/shouldn’t bring!
WHO NOT TO MISS:
Hozier – Who doesn’t love Hozier? He is one of the main acts for this year’s Longitude! Last year, he opened the festival at 2pm (we might of missed most of his set because Sarah needed to pee, but we got to see him sing Take Me To Church!) One year later, he is headlining the festival. You won’t forgive yourself if you miss him, he is fastly becoming the world’s most sought after singer.
Image from @yearsandyears
Years & Years – If these guys aren’t already on your list, I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU! I wrote about these guys in my Ones To Watch for 2015 and god, they are owning 2015! If their tunes like King and Desire aren’t enough reason to see them, Olly Alexander, the lead singer is HOT. Please, for me, DO NOT MISS THESE GUYS!!
Alt-J – Alt-J was also at last year’s Longitude! The tent was crowded for them, and the crowd went crazy for them when they started their set! I am sure it will be the same this year!
Tove Lo – Name doesn’t ring a bell? It didn’t with me either. Until I googled her and figured out I knew her already! She sings Talkin’ Bodies and Stay High (Funny fact: I was convinced she was singing Say Hi for about 4 months!)
WHAT TO BRING:
Your Ticket and please mind it at all times, don’t leave it behind you in the shop you stop in on the way to Marley Park. It just leads to disappointment and embarrassment.
Cash – avoid depending on a card machine because either the queue is too long or the machine has run out of money!
Most websites say bring a camera – if you are like me and can handle drink and be responsible, work away! But if not, avoid bringing too many valuables. You’ll have snapchat on your phone anyway;)
PORTABLE CHARGERS (& USB)!! It amazes me how majority of people still don’t have them! I have 5 and bring them everywhere! There is nothing worse than being separated from friends and either your phone is dead or theirs!
It is to be around 18-19 degrees all weekend in Dublin but with some rain. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear suncream! You can still burn when temperatures are that high and it’s cloudy! Trust me!
Rain jacket – It’s Ireland!
Wellies – again, it’s Ireland. I wore them last year and it was roasting on the Saturday but had rained on the Friday and I didn’t want to ruin my converse!
Girls, go crazy with festival style! Flower crowns, kimonos, feathers, anything that screams festival style!! But please, wear shorts that cover your ass. I just want you to look good!
ARRIVE EARLY TO AVOID MISSING THE FIRST ACT (if you want to see them) – The queues are crazy at 2pm!! Gates open at 1:30pm each day.
Aerosols – Buy airport sized aerosols and beauty products. Much easier to carry around also!
HAND SANITIZER!!!!
Tissues – They are great for everything from when a friend is getting sick to when you need to pee to when your hay fever kicks in! Pack loads.
WHAT NOT TO BRING:
To go with my last point above: avoid bringing anything that is going to hold you up in the queue, you are just wasting fun time with your friends and missing good music!
Ladies, it’s not race day so please avoid big hats. The are pointless at a festival.
Do not bring umbrellas, they are not allowed! God, they were allowed when I used to go to Oxegen!
No alcohol or food (what harm will food do?) is allowed to be brought in. You have to buy it all on site.
No folding chairs!! You have to sit on the ground like everyone else!!
Excessive amounts of cigarettes, you are only allowed enough for you.
Reflective jackets, you aren’t working!
Fireworks, Flares or Chinese Lanterns, they are pointless at a festival anyway!
That’s it. Have a good time, look after yourself and friends, be careful and most importantly, enjoy the music.
I am not jealous of anyone going.. Nope.. I am just going to stay in my bed and cry!
Oh and one last thing, MIND YOUR DRINKS. Cover your drink at all time!
Writing my favourites for the last month is the hardest it’s been because I love so many things at the moment! But I have struggled through to compile my faves! In June, so much has happened! I finished my Co-Op placement with ilovelimerick (check out the website here and like the Facebook here!), I’ve been to London and seen 5SOS x2 (yes, I saw Michael’s face/hair go on fire!), seen The Script in Croker and was filmed and featured in a video on their Facebook, seen Taylor Swift live, oh so much has happened in June, I’d be here all day!
So here are my June Favourites!
Book
I spent a good bit of June travelling which gave me plenty of time to read and I read The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks as I wanted to read it before I saw the movie. Nicholas Sparks is one of my favourite romance writers and I was incredibly excited to read this book. It’s about two couples, one elderly (Ira and Ruth) and one young (Luke and Sophia). Ira, who is 90 years old, is in a car crash, but it is snowing so bad that no one can see the car. He is already sick, and is barely surviving the car crash. It is all because of his late wife Ruth, who appears to him as an image in the car, and is reminding him of their life together, including how they met, the dark days of WW2 and how they began to collect all the paintings the collected. Sophia, who is a Wake Forest college student, falls in love with cowboy Luke at a barn dance one night. Luke is not like anyone else Sophia knows. Together they experience the joys of love as well as the difficulties that come with Luke’s dangerous career. Although both couples in the story have nothing in common, the story line brings them together! The elderly couple’s love story is a beautiful one. I loved this book!
Image from nicholassparks.com
Make Up
Topshop Lip Gloss/ Lipsticks are something I have only bought recently! After hearing several raving reviews about the products, I had to try them out and god why haven’t I bought them before! So at the moment, I am loving these two lip glosses. Because of the Roaccutane tablet I am on, I find it very hard to wear lipstick as my lips are so dry. So these lip glosses are perfect! They keep my lips moist and look good too! The purple is a colour I normally wouldn’t go for but I loved it more than the pink to be honest! I think I paid around £8 pound for the purple one and €3 for the pink one!
Fashion
A girl can never have too many shoes and I couldn’t say no to both these pair of shoes when I saw them in Primark/Pennys! I bought the blue pair to go with the black skirt from River Island that I mention below! I wore it with a white crop top from Topshop! I unfortunately didn’t take a photo but that is okay, it makes it easier to wear again! 😛 They were £13. The Flowery pair were just so gorgeous, I couldn’t leave them behind! They were €18. By the way, sorry about the mess in the background of the photos, I am redecorating my room!
After my love for tulle skirts, this River Island Skirt I got in London is my favourite! It is very Kim Kardashian style and very flattering on! Although the slit is very high up my leg, it is fabulous! It was £25, which was very reasonable for something from River Island! I wonder could I get away with wearing it to Portlaoise to the the grocery shopping? Maybe not…
Stationery
I am a bit of a stationery freak. If it is not new cute notebooks, it’s pens and pencases! I got this cute London pencil case in Monsoon when I was in London and I adore it. I think it was about time I put my One Direction one in the merch box and became a proper lady! This pencil case was €10. Monsoon have a great range of notebooks, pencil case and any other stationery you may need. It may be pricey but it is fabulous!
Movie
My favourite movie this month had to be Jurassic World!!! Oh my god it was so good. I know what your are thinking, why the hell did Sarah Jane go see that movie, that’s not her typical movie! I watched all the previous Jurassic movies with my dad when I was younger and had to see this as everyone was raving about it! Also, Chris Pratt, come on, there was no way I was missing that! He is one beautiful man! If you haven’t seen this movie yet, GO SEE IT NOW!!
Food
I love pancakes, who doesn’t? I usually only ate plain pancakes whenever I had them because I don’t like Nutella or Lemon Juice or any of those other things people typically put on their pancakes! BUT I have been LOVING Blueberry pancakes recently!! I saw a post on either Tumblr or Pinterest about them and was like oh my god I want them now! So I have been eating these a lot in June! A little tip when making them, burst the blueberries when in the pan before the are made, it tastes so much better!
Music
Firstly, I know I went to Sunday Sessions last night (9th July) but I had to tell you to check out these guys! Little Hours performed and they were incredible. I had heard about them a few months ago but it took me seeing them live to appreciate how good they are. They done a cover of Beyonce’s Crazy In Love a month ago on Sunday Sessions and it is INCREDIBLE! Check them out, you won’t regret it. And Ladies, Ryan is unbelievably hot, just a word of warning!
Selena Gomez has really grown up hasn’t she? I’m liking her new sound, and Good For You is a catchy song. Wonder who she wrote the song about? Bieber? Mmm..
I think the song of the summer 2015 has definitely been Lean On by Major Lazer. The minute it comes on the radio, I just turn it up and feel good and want to dance!
YOUTUBER
Gabby, who is better known as velvetgh0st, is my favourite Youtuber this month! She is a 20 year-old blogger and YouTuber. Her videos are predominantly beauty-based but with a few fashion and lifestyle inspired videos as well. From hauls, favourites, beauty tutorials and sometimes, vlogs. She isn’t on the list of well known Youtubers just yet, but is making her way there! She has been recently appearing in videos alongside Zoella, which is helping her become the Youtube star she deserves to be! Check out one of her videos below.
Okay, shameless self promotion time! If you didn’t already know, I started vlogging! I am NOWHERE near as good as my favourites but I’ll get there! So when I was in London, I vlogged majority of the time. If you want, check out the video. If you can Like & Subscribe also, I’d be very happy! Check out some of my other videos on my channel also!
That’s it for my June Favourites, I’ll see you in a month for July Faves!
I know I haven’t blogged much in May, life has just been crazy! But summer is soon, and I have loads of time to blog then! I am currently preparing to leave to catch a flight to London for the weekend and decided to post this blog before I leave!!
So here is what I enjoyed for the month of May!
Fashion
So my favourite outfit of the month had to be a crop top and high waisted skirt outfit I got from New Look here for £38. I wore it to the first night of the Rose of Tralee Regionals in Portlaoise last weekend. I wore it blue shoes from Pennys/Primark which were €18 and a handbag from New Look here for €30. I kept my hair slicked back and simple as the outfit was very vibrant!
Movie
I went to see the highly anticipated Pitch Perfect 2 with Sarah, Joe and Lisa and OMG it was amazing. Almost better than the first movie. So it was basically about the Bellas trying to recover after being humiliated in front of the President of the United States of America and as a result, the Bellas are taken out of the Aca-Circuit. In order to clear their negative image and recover their status, the Bellas must win an International competition which no American team has ever won. But to achieve this, they need to go back to basics and work on their connection as friends and sisterhood. It is hilarious and the music is great. The ending of the movie is so good and unexpected! Is there going to be a Pitch Perfect 3? I do hope so!
Food
I’ve been having a guilty treat a lot in May and that is the Chocolate Muffin and Ice Cream from Supermacs. Now, I don’t like Chocolate that much and only eat M&M’s but that muffin and ice cream is heavenly! I even want one now.
That is mouth watering…
But on a healthier note, it is now summer time meaning that Fresh Strawberries are everywhere and I love it! Strawberries are delicious this time of the year and are a healthy snack instead of grabbing that bar of chocolate or that muffin and ice cream!!
Music
LITTLE MIX ARE BACK!! So obviously my favourite song at the moment is Black Magic and you will hear me singing along to it as if I was Perrie Edwards (A GIRL CAN DREAM, RIGHT?) I love this tune. It’s so catchy and is a feeling good song!
Home Decor
Home Decor again! So I am loving candles at the moment, if you haven’t noticed. I bought this Red Raspberry Yankee Candle recently for €9.99 and oh dear god, it smells divine!!! It makes my room smell beautiful, even when it isn’t lighting!
Book
I have been reading Cecelia Ahern’s How To Fall In Love. I haven’t finished reading it yet, I didn’t have much time to read this month! Anyway, the book is about how Christine and Adam are thrown together on the night she stops his suicide attempt on Dublin’s Halfpenny Bridge. Christine is determined to help Adam. He gives her a deadline of his birthday to convince him life is worth living, which she discovers is in just two weeks time. At first, it is Christine who is meant to be saving Adam, but it soon becomes clear that Adam might just be saving Christine too. It is a really good book, I love a good Cecelia book!
Youtuber
Queen Tyler Oakley is my favourite for May, mainly because I saw him live in May. Tyler is a 26 year old American Youtuber, television and podcast personality. He began making videos in 2007. He has over 350 videos on his main channel and has over 400,000,000 views and over 7 million subscribers. Tyler is probably the most well known and most loved Youtuber currently. And he slays (insert hair flick emoji here!)
This is his most recent main channel video
And this is his most recent vlog ( I know it’s 9 months ago!)
Make Up
So Su Nail Varnish is one of my favourite at the moment. The shades are all so beautiful!! My fave is Icing On The Cake! I goes on so easy and doesn’t chip too quickly. It also doesn’t have a strong smell like most nail varnishes. It’s a great bargain for €7.99!
I have been seeing raving reviews about Rimmel’s newest Mascara, Wake Me Up. I have had the same mascara for 3 years now so I decided I needed to try a new mascara and OH MY GOD I am so glad I picked this up! Firstly, it smells GORGEOUS! It smells like cucumber and is really refreshing! Secondly, it really opens my eyes and makes my eyelashes look even longer! I adore it, this will be my mascara for a long time!
That’s it for my May Favourites, I’ll see you in a month for June Faves!
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini always gets it right when it comes to Cannes Film Festival and this year is no different. She graced the red carpet for the Irrational Man premiere on Friday 15 May as the L’Oreal brand ambassador. She wore a very flattering pink Ralph & Russo dress from the spring/summer 2015 collection which showed off her tiny physique perfectly.
Sarah Jane Allen 